Dish Network’s wireless ambitions are up in the air after losing a key leader in Michael Kelly, the company’s wireless retail chief.
Cord Cutters News confirmed Kelly’s resignation, and that his last day will February 29. Light Reading was the first to report on Kelly’s exit.
“We appreciate his hard work and commitment to our business,” said a Dish spokeswoman. “While we conduct a search for his successor, Hamid Akhavan, president and CEO of EchoStar, will lead strategy and key day-to-day operations for the retail wireless brands.”
Kelly was a Dish veteran who was coaxed back to the company less than a year ago by Dish founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen. As the head of wireless retail, Kelly was tasked with reviving a wireless business that has bled customers virtually non-stop since it took over. But his presence made little difference as wireless subscribers continued to drop off and its Boost Mobile and Boost Infinite brands barely made a dent with consumers, even with the offer of a free iPhone 15.
Kelly’s departure marks just one of several high-profile exits at Dish, which had completed its merger with sister company Echostar at the beginning of the year. It also raises questions about how Dish will continue its transformation from a satellite-based pay TV provider to a wireless company. Dish has spent billions of dollars building out a nationwide wireless network, although it still needs billions more to complete the work, which is mandated by the government.
While Dish has long hoarded spectrum for a wireless network, it didn’t seriously get into the business until it acquired Boost Mobile from Sprint, a condition of T-Mobile’s takeover of Sprint in 2020. The Justice Department had intended Dish to become the new No. 4 national wireless player to maintain the competitive environment.
That hasn’t happened. Dish’s wireless efforts have continued to struggle. In November, it reported losing 225,000 wireless retail customers in the third quarter. A year earlier, it had added 1,000. At the time, Kelly said the company was working to attract more profitable customers.
Beyond the personnel issue, Dish also faces questions about whether it can obtain funding to complete its buildout and acquire more spectrum. Part of the reason why the two companies merged was so they could better handle Dish’s massive debt.
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